Teaching and learning in community secondary schools in Tanzania: the case of Nzega District, Tabora Region

The purpose of this study was to investigate the Teaching and Learning in Community Secondary Schools in Tanzania using the Community Secondary Schools in Nzega district in Tabora Region as a case of study. The case study design informed the study. Relevant data were collected from 83 respondents in two Community Secondary Schools who were obtained through random, systematic and purposive sampling techniques. Interviews, observation and document search were used to collect relevant data which were then analyzed qualitatively. Several findings were obtained. Firstly, Community Secondary Schools had a poor teaching and learning environment in terms of inadequate physical facilities, human resources and instruction materials. Secondly, the teaching and learning process in the schools was negatively affected by the poor teaching and learning environment to the extent that most students failed the national examinations. Thirdly, different strategies were employed in such schools to cope with the problems of the poor teaching and learning environment. On the basis of the research findings, it is concluded that the poor teaching and learning environment negatively affect the whole process of teaching and learning and hence affects the quality of education provided in the community secondary schools. Also despite of the adopted strategies, there was no sustainability of the strategies. The economic hardships facing the parents of the students and their lack of awareness on the importance of education were the major challenges that affected the sustainability and effectiveness of the strategies. The study recommends that there is need to improve teaching and learning environment in such schools and to sensitize the people so that they participate fully in addressing the problems of the poor teaching learning environment in the community secondary schools. The study also recommends that further research should be done to other areas of Tanzania and other countries for generalizable results and viable strategies to counter the problem of the poor teaching and learning environment in such schools.